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February's Most Anticipated New YA Novels
As dedicated readers already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of young adult fiction. Every month our team looks at the books being published and how they're resonating with early readers. We use this information to put together a roundup of soon-to-be favorites.
New in February: A London newcomer makes an unpleasant discovery about her extended family in Vanessa Len’s Only a Monster. A seventeen-year-old defies 1980s-era Romanian secret police in Ruta Sepetys’ I Must Betray You. And three Black Muslim girls battle vicious Islamophobia in Laila Sabreen’s You Truly Assumed. Also watch for Korean sea gods, Persian djinni, and a new riff on an old Shakespeare drama.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!
New in February: A London newcomer makes an unpleasant discovery about her extended family in Vanessa Len’s Only a Monster. A seventeen-year-old defies 1980s-era Romanian secret police in Ruta Sepetys’ I Must Betray You. And three Black Muslim girls battle vicious Islamophobia in Laila Sabreen’s You Truly Assumed. Also watch for Korean sea gods, Persian djinni, and a new riff on an old Shakespeare drama.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!
Inspired by and steeped in traditional Korean mythology, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is the latest from YA author Axie Oh, creator of the gloriously titled Rebel Seoul series. With cataclysmic storms and lethal floods drowning the world, young Mina has just done a very brave, very foolish thing. Now she’s been swept away to the Spirit Realm, where she must somehow awaken the Sea God from his enchanted slumber. Luckily, she’s got some friendly spirits and demons to lend a hand.
You think your love life is complicated? Check this out: Sixteen-year-old Joan has been sent off to stay with her late mother’s eccentric London family. The good news is that the cute guy Nick at her new job just asked her out. The bad news is that Joan’s newfound family members are monsters – quite literally. The worst news? Nick is a legendary monster slayer. This is going to get awkward, isn’t it? Only a Monster is the first book in a planned trilogy for Australian author Vanessa Len.
Fans of Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series will be pleased to see this one, the first of a new series blending adventure, romance, fantasy and Persian mythology. On tap: A servant girl who is actually heir to an ancient lineage of Jinn. A crown prince with his own set of problems and a soft spot for said servant girl. A book cover that is subtly but enormously lovely. Also: palace intrigue, forbidden romance, magic, and revolution. Bonus trivia: Mafi’s YA novel A Very Large Expanse of Sea has been optioned for a film adaptation.
Book #4 in the strictly monosyllabic Crave series (Crave, Crush, Covet), Tracy Wolff’s new novel Court returns readers to her treacherous world of vampires, gargoyles, ancient gods, and extremely complicated romantic situations. Wolff is one of YA’s most prolific authors and this new installment should keep fans and shippers happy. Book #5, tentatively titled Charm, is slated for publication later in 2022.
Historical fiction specialist Ruta Sepetys is back in the game with this intriguing YA drama, set in the year 1989 amid the brutal dictatorship of Romanian despot Nicolae Ceaușescu. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu has been blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. Risking everything to oppose the regime, Cristian opts instead to assist the revolutionaries by leveraging his position inside the machine. Bonus trivia: Sepetys was awarded the Carnegie Medal literary award in 2017.
Shakespeare retellings in fiction – like Shakespeare adaptations on stage – are always compelling on a sort of artistic superconsciousness level. It’s interesting to watch how these great stories filter down through the centuries. Samantha Cohoe’s Bright Ruined Things is an extended riff on The Tempest and its magical island setting, with young heroine Mae piecing together a mystery from the past. Cohoe is a Latin teacher by day and is renown for her facility with adverbs.
With her new book These Deadly Games, author Diana Urban (All Your Twisted Secrets) continues to stake her claim in the occupied lands of YA psychological thrillers. The setup is vicious: Teenage gamer Crystal Donavan must choose between her little sister and her best friends when a sadistic villain forces her to play a deadly game with life or death stakes. Can Crystal figure out a way to outplay her opponent before the blood starts to spill? Gamers, especially, should like this one.
This ambitious debut novel from author Laila Sabreen lays out a dark and fascinating dilemma. When a terrorist attack stirs up a new wave of Islamophobia – perhaps deliberately – a trio of Black Muslim girls find themselves in a position of terrible danger and great opportunity. By sharing their experiences through a public blog, they take a gamble on the soul of a nation, trusting that open and honest communication can counter cruel and closed-minded hate.
Another finalist in this month’s unofficial Best Cover Art competition, Claire Legrand’s Extasia offers YA horror with LGBT themes and a deeply creepy vibe. An ancient evil is stirring beneath the black mountain near the village of Haven. When a young initiate takes her vows, she becomes one of the four saints of Haven, pledged to stand against the metastasizing darkness. Author Legrand (Sawkill Girls) delivers some witchy weirdness, recommended for fans of The Grace Year and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Stories of That One Magical Summer are a proud tradition in film and literature. (Who remembers Corvette Summer? Grandma? Grandpa?) Kate Marchant (Whistleblower) locks into the groove with Float, about an Alaskan transplant to Florida, and her adventures with sun, surf, and the boys of summer. Advance word suggests the book has an agreeable throwback style and a Sarah Dessen / Kasie West / Morgan Matson kind of vibe.
Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent articles, including:
The 68 Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2022
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of February
February's Hottest New Romances
Check out more recent articles, including:
The 68 Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2022
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of February
February's Hottest New Romances
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Feb 03, 2022 02:05AM
Interesting selection of books.
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Covet is two syllables, so the series is perhaps *mostly* monosyllabic. ;)
Me llevo algunos que me parecieron bastante interesantes y no tenia idea de ellos...
Super excited that I finally have, I must betray you!
